It is common to test a database, or a system or program associated with the database, by accessing sample data in the database. However, when productive databases are tested or used to test a program, productive data may be retrieved or modified. This may have undesirable consequences. For example, a company that maintains the database may worry about retrieval of productive data for testing purposes out of security or privacy concerns. Moreover, the company may not want sample data read out during normal use of the database. Plus, as a common sense rule, it is simply unwise to risk modification of productive data for the purposes of testing.